The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said he would release Nnamdi Kanu and engage separatist agitators in dialogue if elected president.Speaking during an interaction with Nigerians in Washington, Obi argued that Kanu should not be detained over comments he allegedly made on Radio Biafra, insisting that criticism of political leaders should not be criminalised.
“There’s no reason for keeping Nnamdi Kanu. I will free Nnamdi Kanu as President. He has done nothing wrong; the government has no reason to arrest him because he was speaking and calling people names on radio,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor maintained that public officials are often subjected to criticism and insults, which, according to him, should not constitute an offence.“Anybody can tell you anything. I’m a politician and people call me all sorts of names and I don’t think calling me names is an offence,” he added.Obi also pledged to adopt dialogue as a strategy for addressing separatist agitations and other grievances across the country.
“If I am in government today, I will discuss with all agitators because I believe that they have a reason for whatever they want to do and it’s only by engaging them that we would learn,” he said.
About the Author
